College — and Philly — is expensive. Between tuition, your overpriced dorm and a meal plan you probably will not use as often as you should, the dollars add up. Student discounts may not solve all your problems, but they can help you chip away at costs. With just your DragonCard, you can cut down expenses on everything from groceries to entertainment. Here is how to make the best of your student status for the next four to five years.
Getting around
Full-time Drexel students can load discounted SEPTA passes directly onto their SEPTA Key through DrexelOne, saving 15 percent on monthly TransPasses and TrailPasses. If you are heading to New Jersey, NJ Transit’s Quik-Tik program slashes 25 percent off monthly passes. Amtrak also offers a national 15 percent discount for riders between 17 and 24 years old, while United Airlines offers a five percent discount on flights for travelers aged 18 to 23.
Tech and software
Drexel offers free access to a range of software, including Adobe Acrobat Pro, Creative Cloud and Adobe Express Premium, as well as discounts on hardware through Dell and the Apple Education Store. Beyond Drexel, companies such as Microsoft, Samsung, Lenovo, HP and Logitech offer discounts of 10 to 25 percent for students.
Apple’s Pro Apps Bundle lets you grab Final Cut Pro and other premium apps for $199 — a bundle worth more than $600. Notion also provides its Pro plan for free, while GitHub’s Student Developer Pack offers a plethora of free and discounted tools.
Food and groceries
Food is one of the easiest things to burn money on as a student, but Philly has a number of student-friendly options. Right on campus, Landmark Americana cuts brunch prices in half from Saturday through Monday (11 a.m. – 3 p.m.). Close by, Café Lift gives 10 percent off your bill, and Revolution Taco offers 10 percent off for students. For groceries, Reading Terminal Market is a good option, as both Lovine Brothers Produce and OK Produce offer 10 percent off to students on select days.
Some national chains also have your back: Pizza Hut, Subway, Dunkin’, Buffalo Wild Wings, IHOP, Taco Bell and Arby’s all offer 10 percent off with an ID at participating locations. Walmart+ is available for $6.47 per month or $49 per year, roughly half the standard price. DoorDash’s DashPass comes at half price for students, with unlimited free delivery on orders over $12.
Things to do
There are zero excuses to be bored in Philly. Opera Philadelphia offers $10 rush tickets on the day of a performance, and The Philadelphia Orchestra hosts an annual free concert. The Barnes Foundation costs just $5 for students, the Mutter Museum is $15 and the Philadelphia Museum of Art offers a yearly membership for only $25.
The Philadelphia Zoo membership is $35 a year, the Philadelphia Film Society gives student memberships for $30 (with $5 off movies and 10 percent off concessions), and The Walnut Street Theatre offers $25 rush tickets if you’re 24 or younger.
For the sports fans, some Philly teams make it easy to stay involved. The Phillies’ Student Steal program offers reduced ticket prices for specific games, while the Flyers’ Student Rush program provides discounted tickets 24-48 hours before games.
Shopping
Chains like H&M (20 percent off), Levi’s, J. Crew, Aeropostale and Tommy Hilfiger (15 percent off) all offer discounts with a student ID. Athletic brands such as Champion, North Face and Hanes also offer 10 percent off. Target runs a College Student Appreciation program with rotating deals through Target Circle, while UniDAYS and Student Beans constantly update with exclusive offers across dozens of stores. Amazon Prime Student also offers six months free, along with added perks like free Prime Video and Grubhub, followed by a 50 percent discount on membership afterward.
Subscriptions
Spotify Premium, bundled with Hulu, is free for the first three months and then $5.99 per month thereafter. Apple Music for Students is available at a discounted price and includes Apple TV+ for free, while YouTube Premium also offers a discounted price for students after a free trial. Peacock is available for just $1.99 per month for 12 months, and Paramount+ offers 25 percent off the monthly subscription cost.
Students can also save on productivity tools and memberships. Evernote offers up to 40 percent off a full year of Evernote Professional, and Chegg Student Perks provides discounted subscriptions to Max, Adobe Acrobat, Tinder Gold and more when paired with a Chegg Study Pack subscription.